Each year I design something for New Orleans Jazz Fest and have a large collection of designs on shirts and posters. I stayed with the Chat Noir Theme having gotten a lot of good reviews of that design so here is 2014 Chat Noir Jazz fest, shirts and posters sold world wide on the web by Fig Street Studio

After 20 years of performing weddings I have developed a lot of good advice for couples beginning to plan on getting married. Over those years I have done over 2,000 weddings give or take 100 more. Most of that advice can be found on a blog I keep at Blogger. It is not organized well but there is the search function to find things. I will try this year to use WordPress in a more organize fashion, beginning with the post on the Wedding Planning Checklist. That needs to be the first step. Along with getting a notebook or binder to keep you information in one place. Remember too it is a couples effort, not a one person activity, but one can be the lead information gatherer as long as the information is shared. Go to my blog and get the list now to print out and use.

New Orleans is a favorite spot for weddings. Tradition has it South Louisiana could really put on a celebration for a wedding out doing even Mardi Gras.

Harnett T. Kane, a New Orleans journalist and author of, “The Bayous of Louisiana”, published in 1943 by Bonanza Books of New York, wrote, “The more I saw of this place and people, (Louisiana) the more I came to appreciate them.”

Mr. Kane once attended a Louisiana wedding and found: “Only one other South Louisiana institution can match the Mardi Gras in its semiregulated horseplay, and that is the French-style charivari.”

Kane said he was once surprisingly invited while visiting in Cajun Country to a charivari. A hurried man knocked at his door and asked if he wanted to see a charivari. On the way Kane was told that an old businessman after his first wife passed away married a young girl, and had returned with her from a private wedding in New Orleans. As usual a charivari developed spontaneously by men in the community. Kane said they stopped in a crowd on the road a short distance from the couple’s home. A loud procession went to the couple’s house but the noise grew louder upon reaching the home. For about 2 hours, the charivari noise went on out side the house. The rules were the group had to be invited in, the noise would go on until the invitation was given.

One man knocked the door of the old businessman’s home. After several discussions the husband came out. He knew the rules; there would be no end to it until the bride as well as the groom joined in the charivari. Reluctantly the husband fetched the bride.

They were urged to kiss and the husband then asked the question expected by the crowd. “Quoi vous voulez, mes bons hommes?” (What do you want, gentlemen?) The leaders of the charivari group, told him they wanted wine, beer, cake, sausage, cheese and whatever available, and they’d even wait for him to go get more food. “Entrez!” called the leaders. Thus the charivari begins. For the next hour music played, food was eaten and toasts made. “Que le Dieu benit les maries!” (May God bless the married ones.) “Que le Dieu benit les noces!” (May God bless the nuptials.) Eventually charivari ended and the couple left in peace. Only one celebration per marriage is allowed but for a Cajun any reason is good enough for an another party.

For further reading on Louisiana Cajun Customs of marriage and the actual marriage celebration see: Pouponne et Balthazar: Nouvelle Acadienne by Mme. Sidonie de la Houssaye; Librairie de l�Opion, Nouvelle-Orleans: 1888 a retelling of the “Evageline” story by a Louisiana Creole author of the time period. See also Cajun Country by Barry Jean Ancelet, et al. Paperback / Published 1991 ISBN: 0878054677.

Traditions are still made in many weddings in New Orleans and the local favorite Pirates Alley wedding tradition first thought to be done by a local pirate who now haunts the Alley. You can have one too, just contact Jerry Schwehm at http://www.figstreet.com/weddings

Zazzle now has jewelry,beautiful sterling silver necklace.I’ve added a lot of my art. Sterling silver chain is 18″ with 3″ extender and lobster claw clasp. Necklace arrives in a special black felt bag. Finished with UV resistant, waterproof, glossy coating over the art. New Orleans jewelry now sold at my Zazzle shop. Stop in and see all the necklaces at http://www.zazzle.com/figstreetstudio/necklaces

Although I have a limited knowledge of HTML and the web it is still a task to understand the terms and things to get images and art into my blog. I am trying to use the help provided by Zazzle to see if it works here so my Zazzle Shop at http://zazzle.com/figstreetstudio would be imported here so people can go direct to it to see some of my art. But it seems the easy to follow instructions do not work well as below is supposed to be a little window with links to my art. So here is the page you can go direct to it with out the not working below gadget.

The Fleur De Lis is a recurring theme in many New Orleans Weddings. Both the City of New Orleans and the beloved New Orleans Saints NFL football team use the fleur de lis as a symbol. I have noticed an increased use of the fleur de lis at many weddings in New Orleans. It shows up on invitations, on napkins, decorations, and even cakes. I am sure there is a wedding dress too with it embroideredon and a necklace or pin attached. The fleur de lis is also a recurring them in my art and I have created many designs that can be used in invitations, cards, and more. Here is a web page with them, http://www.cafepress.com/figstreetstudio/1925039 and some links to them below.

New Orleans Weddings

Dr. Jerry Kenneth Schwehm served as as Justice of the Peace in 1990 to 1994 in Slidell, Louisiana and was ordained in 1989 as a Lay Minister after serving as Elder and Deacon in his church for many years. He has a BA and JD from Louisiana State University (1972) . He has performed numerous wedding ceremonies both as a Justice of the Peace and Clergyman. He is available in the Greater New Orleans area to perform your personalized marriage ceremony. He will go to your location or at his office in Fig Studio. He may be contacted at the below web page.

Couples are wisely budgeting the money they spend on their weddings. Using money saving ideas like eloping to a public park, using Google to find and save on services like rentals and flowers, or simply getting married by a local officiant at their home.

Deciding to elope and combine the Honeymoon and marriage all in one trip is a money saving tip. Some cities will offer visitors week day discounts on hotel rooms, food, and other services needed to get married. New Orleans, La. is a place that during the week hotels offer discounts and getting married in one day is easy. A local retired minister specializes in going to couples at their home or hotel for a quick wedding with no frills.

Meeting a wedding officiant in the historic French Quarter hotel and conducting a simple ceremony or at an old walkway, alley, park, or building has become the way to have a romantic elopement yet save the big costs of a more fancy wedding. People come from all over the USA and some as far as the United Kingdom to get married simply and fast in a beautiful spot in New Orleans then spend the Honeymoon enjoying the savings.

Plan on getting the facts before hand, Using the web to find a discounted hotel room, contacting the marriage license office to be sure you have the right documentation, and making an appointment with the Fig Street wedding minister is easy via e-mail. The best way to save money is to take advantage of all the discounts offered. Ask about them or search the web before you arrive and save money.

You can ask a friend to do the photos, and purchase flowers from a food store based florist saving money on those items. No need for a fancy wedding gown, a nice light colored dress and comfortable shoes with flowers in hand looks great. Saving money and having a memorable wedding is easy with help of the world wide web.

Dr. Jerry Kenneth Schwehm served as as Justice of the Peace in 1990 to 1994 in Slidell, Louisiana and was ordained in 1989 as a Lay Minister after serving as Elder and Deacon in his church for many years. He has a BA and JD from Louisiana State University (1972) and an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from a local Bible Church in 1990. He has performed numerous wedding ceremonies and is available in the Greater New Orleans area to perform your personalized marriage ceremony. He will go to your location or at his office in Fig Studio. He may be contacted at www.figstreet.com/weddings

Kitchen back splashes can be created from a variety of Fig Street Art Studio ceramic tiles. The favorite being the Spanish Tile Street Name Murals in the French Quarter. Using the many art tiles found at Fig Street Studio possibilities are endless. Find the designs you like for your Kitchen Back splash at the Cafe Press web page. From large back splash murals to budget friendly single tile designs you can put together yourself, using supplies of glue and grout found at home stores like Lowes. If you need to light up your back splash, home supply stores have those small tube lights for under the cabinet.
Follow this link for the pictures of the tile http://www.cafepress.com/figstreetstudio/397643

After years of selling my art I have learned a few tricks to getting good looking frames at a reasonable cost. Too often clients tell me they love the inexpensive prints I sell but having them framed is expensive. I tell them, ” get the frame first.” Many art and craft stores have seasonal frame sales. Frames come in standard sizes, 8×10 and 11×14, some have mats in them too. I have been able to find 11×14 frames with a mat for as low as $15 on sale at many discount, import, and crafts stores. I also find “postcard size” collage frames 4×6 with one, two, or more places to put a 4×6 print in them. Clients can also use the greeting cards I sell 5×7 as small prints framed with a mat.

First shop for a nice frame knowing what size prints are available, 4×6, 5×7, 8×10, 11×14. Be sure to know when the sale goes on and look for a frame with a mat. I also get discounted pre-framed prints and remove the store bought print and put in its place my prints. Above is a photo of an off size painting I did for my daughter, framed in a frame I found at a discount store with an existing food print at half price. The painting fits perfect into an existing frame and was $12.

Framing a print need not be costly when you keep in mind to get prints to fit a standard frame. Look for frames first, on sale, then frame your print yourself.